The Rwanda Private Sector Federation (RPSF) has hired a South African firm to carry out a Business Climate Survey across the country.

Speaking exclusively to The New Times, John Bosco Kanyangoga, the Director in charge of Advocacy and Institutional Relations said they want to study the current challenges to investors throughout the country and propose recommendations to government. Kanyangoga said RPSF is also conducting an independent research about the cost of government bureaucracy to private investors.

"The ‘come tomorrow’ attitude among some government officials had cost a lot to the economy," he said. The government has continually emphasized its commitment to improving the investment climate in the country so that Rwandans can increase private sector development. In 2007, the government hired an international policy research institution The Policy Practice, to advise government on policies that would attract foreign investors.

The Secretary General in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, John Rwangombwa, revealed that several initiatives had been put in place since last year to boost investment promotion.

"The Government has undertaken several reforms to achieve better performance in the Doing Business Index so that we can attract more investors in the country," said Rwangombwa who is also the Secretary to the Treasury

Kanyangoga said private investors have continually cited high tax charges and a comparatively higher cost of transport as some of the factors that make Rwanda "business unfriendly"..

The Business Climate Survey is co-sponsored by German Technical Cooperation GTZ and RPSF.

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